PROPOSITION
K (THE LA FOR Kids PROGRAM)
FACT SHEET
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The passage of Proposition K (hereinafter “Prop
K”) created a citywide assessment district which
will generate twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000)
each year in funds for the acquisition, improvement, construction,
and maintenance of City parks, recreation facilities,
and other projects through an annual real property tax
assessment on City residents over a 30-year period. Funding
is for capitol improvements and maintenance.
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The primary purpose of Prop K is to combat the inadequacies
and decay of the City’s youth infrastructure, which
has resulted in serious unmet needs for park, recreation,
childcare and community facilities.
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Under Prop K, two hundred ninety eight million, eight
hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($298,850,000) of the
total amount generated over 30 years will be set aside
to the City for 183 specified projects.
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Prop K also ordered the allocation of one hundred forty
three million, six hundred and fifty thousand dollars
($143,650,000) of the total amount generated over 30 years
through an open and competitive process for public agencies,
City departments and nonprofit organizations. All recipients
of funds under Prop K must demonstrate an ability to provide
ongoing programming at the facility in order to receive
funds. This is the match required under Prop K.
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Originally, the City of Los Angeles designated the Commission
for Children, Youth and Their Families (CCYF) as the agency
charged with administering the open and competitive process,
under the L.A. FOR KIDS Program. Ordinance No. 175654,
which became effective January 3, 2004, designated the
City Engineer as the person responsible for administering
the open and competitive process to allocate funds under
the L.A. FOR KIDS Program. This ordinance relieved the
CCYF of that responsibility.
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Through the biennial Request for Proposal (RFP) process,
the City Engineer is responsible evaluating and rating
submitted proposals, and recommending prospective grant
recipients to the L.A. FOR KIDS Steering Committee and
City Council for approval.
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During the first Prop K cycle (September 1997 –
June 1998), four million dollars ($4,000,000 CDBG and
Prop K funds) were used to fund childcare projects. During
the second Prop K cycle (July 1999 – June 2000),
an additional four million dollars was made available
through the Healthy Alternatives to Smoking Trust Fund
(HATS) for any of the eight Prop K funding categories.
However, the HATS funds had to be used in census tracts
that met the criteria based on the 1990 census. During
the third Prop K cycle (March 2001 – June 2002),
an additional $17.7 million was made available from the
State of California’s Proposition 12 Roberti-Z’berg-Harris
2000 Bond in the form of a Block Grant. However, the Prop
12 RZH funds had a 30% matching fund requirement and conditions
that the proposed project be located on land the City
owned, leased, or had some other long-term interest in,
and had to be located in a HATS census tract or a census
tract with a 25% or more poverty level rate, based on
the 1990 U.S. census. The fourth Prop K cycle commenced
in August 2003, and awards were finalized by City Council
in July 2004. There was approximately $9-10 million in
Prop K funding available to be distributed throughout
the City of Los Angeles.
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The City Engineer is also responsible for creating and
convening Local Volunteer Neighborhood Oversight Committees
(LVNOC) in each Council District. These LVNOCs are responsible
for reviewing and monitoring the progress of all non-
Recreation and Parks competitive grant projects in their
respective districts. Each LVNOC is comprised of no more
than a total of seven voting members, including four neighborhood
representatives and one youth representative appointed
by their Council Member and neighborhood representatives
appointed by the City Engineer (BOE Prop K).
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The City Engineer is also responsible for developing and
monitoring the service and maintenance agreements for
each completed competitive grant project.
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